Braking caster



NOV. 24, 1953 H, B, M|DDEND0RF 2,660,265

BRAKING CASTER Filed Oct./ l, 1952 l INVENTOR.

*n Henn( 8- Hiace-Nook# wm, @wwwa y 44% Patented Nov. 24, 1953 elo'ld Equipment Company, Pittsburgh,

, inven'tieriv relatesto braking.V casters, and more particularly to the ,.typedn v.which the posi- ,.tienfthewheel inthe fork isshifted tooperate Y Brakingcastersff this typehavelbeen sold,4 in

which' the 4 wheel is .journaledin a bracket that is pivotedin the-.caster fork l.in such. a manner that the;- bracket` can swing-the wheel forward -into fthe forkso that "it -willmpress against the front or top,l wall ofthe.A fork. The resulting .friction .bev-.tweenthe wheeleandfork-is supposedto prevent iqotationvsof` 4the-wheel. Nevertheless, lwear of.. the wheel and fork may prevent .them from .pressing ,tightlyaenough together.- `lto effectively brakek the easter. y n

isfamong-:therobjectsof this inventontoy pro- Slide abi'aking castenofthe shifting `wheel type in-which?. provision ,is madeffor confipensating kfor wear. andssin ewhich the .wheel i. will always r `be =In@accordance t-with :.--thisfz invention, the fork which contains the caster wheel has an open back andfgcpen bottom between verticaliside rwallsthat are connected-.bya transverse wall at top and forki-where the opposite sides'lof the body areipivtlllywonebted -to-the'-'fttdjoiningf side'iwaflls eef 'the-ifoifk. firmsbracket-nas-anfiarm sneed g upward; pastfthe-rearendffthetransversewall and in engagement with it to limit rotation of the bracket in that direction. A caster wheel projects into the fork and bracket body and is journaled in the body behind its pivotal connection to the fork. The lower part of the bracket body has a forward portion projecting a short distance in front of the wheel, and a braking member extends across the front of the wheel and is pivotally suspended on a horizontal axis from this portion. When the bracket arm is swung downward, it swings the wheelfforward in the fork past the pivotal axis of the bracket, so that the transverse wall of the fork will press the braking member against the wheel to hold the Wheel against rotation.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of my caster in running position;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the caster in braked position, with the near side of the fork broken away;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the braked caster, with part of the fork broken away; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the braked caster with part of the fork broken away.

...Refer/ring to- Fig..` 1 ofsthe drawings, a -caster `fork-.hasspacedu Verticalsidewalls I connected only at .their top:` and front `by-a longitudinally curved transversefwallulfon top of ywhich is -mountedthe usual- Spindler 3 for attaching. `the casterto thevbottom of-a scaffold or otherdevice that isto be rolled fromone' location to another. The-back and bottomofthe forkare-open. Near :their lower rearcorners, the side walls ofthe fork are providedl withealignedopeningsfin `which-'a pair; of rivets-Il are fmounted.` :These 'rivets are located-behind--the ver-ticalv axis fof thespindle. Pivotally:mounted` on..-these rivets .-are' ,the 5 opposite sides-ofthe y bifurcatdfbdy 6: of` al bracket whichYV projects; from the,.-back-of-the fork. The sides of the jbody-arearigidly connected byan integralsU-shaped arm 'Ii-'that extends upward from 4the topof the-body and past 'the rear end of thetransverse-wall2,;Whichf it engages -in order to-rlimit rotation of the bracketinone direction. This bracket straddles the wheel 8, preferably-a -rubber tired wl'ie`el,.t1hat` isA frotatablytmounted onfanaxle 9;.-in the lowerfrear-f corner-of the bracket-directly-behindthe fork. i Consequently, only about-theupper front quarter-segment ofV the wheel.fisfstraddledtby the bracket andfork. n

Itfwill beseen thatfif-s'arm- 'I is `swungrbackward ,and'down,\ itw-ill- 'rqtatef-the bracket on rivets.A 4 4and `thus sw-ivngfthe wheel.downwardfand-forward in the fork. It is a feature of this invention that when this occurs, a brake is applied to the wheel. For this purpose, the bracket body has a pair of integral ears I0 near its bottom projecting forward a short distance beyond the wheel. These ears support a horizontal pivot pin I i that eX- tends across the wheel a short distance in front of it. Suspended from this pin is a braking member I2 that also extends across the wheel. This pendant member preferably is bell shape when viewed from the end; that is, it flares downwardly and has its rear surface slightly concave to fit the curvature of the wheel which it engages. As long as the wheel is in running position, it will slide down across the braking member without interference from it. However, when the wheel is swung forward into the fork by means of arm 1, the bracket simultaneously swings the braking member upward until it strikes the transverse wall 2 of the fork. This does not occur until after the axis of the wheel has been moved to a position in front of the pivotal axis of the bracket, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the weight on the caster will tend to swing the wheel farther forward and upward relative to the fork. This action pinches the braking member between the transverse wall 2 of the fork and the periphery of the wheel to prevent the wheel from rotating. In other words, the fork presses the curved rear side of the braking member tightly against the wheel, the downward pressure on the braking member being applied to it along its front lower edge. If the diameter of the wheel is reduced by wear, the fork merely moves downward on the wheel a corresponding amount and continues to press the braking member tightly against the Wheel.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of our invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specically illustrated and described.

I claim:

l. A braking caster` comprising a wheel, a fork Vstraddling an upper front segment of the wheel and having a pair of vertical side walls connected only `at top and front by a transverse wall, a bracket having a bifurcated body inside of said fork straddling the wheel, pivot means connecting the opposite sides of said body to the adjoining lside walls of the fork, means rotatably mounting the wheel in the bracket body behind said pivot means, the bracket having a stop portion behind the fork engaging the back of the bracket, the lower part of the bracket body having a forward portion projecting a short distance in front of the wheel, and a braking member extending across the front of the wheel and pivotally suspended on a horizontal axis from said forward portion, said stop portion of the bracket being adapted to be swung downward to swing the wheel forward in the fork'past said pivot means, whereby said transverse wall will press said braking member against the wheel to hold the wheel against -rotation. k Y

Y2. A braking caster comprising a wheel, a fork straddling an upper front segment of the wheel and having a pair of vertical side Walls connected only at top and front by a transverse wall,A a bracket having a bifurcated body inside of said fork straddling the wheel, pivot means connecting the opposite sides of said body to the adjoining side walls, of the fork, means rotatably mounting the Wheel in the bracket body behind said pivot means, the bracket having an arm extending upward past the rear end of said transverse wall in engagement therewith, the lower part of the bracket body having a forward portion projecting a short distance in front of the wheel, and a braking member extending across the front of the wheel and pivotally suspended on a horizontal axis from said forward portion, the rear surface of said member being concave and ttng against the wheel, said arm being adapted to be swung downward to swing the wheel forward in the fork past said pivot means, whereby said transverse wall will press the rear surface of said braking member against said Wheel to hold the wheel against rotation.

3. A braking caster comprising a wheel, a fork straddling an upper front segment of the wheel and having a pair of vertical side walls connected only at top and front by a transverse wall, a bracket having Va bifurcated bodyV inside of said fork straddling the wheeLpivotmeans connecting the opposite sides of said body to the adjoining side walls of the fork, means rotatably mounting the wheel in the bracket body behind said pivot means, the bracket having an arm extending upward past the rear end of said transverse wali in engagement therewith, the lower part of the bracket body having a forward portion projecting a short distance in front of the Wheel, a horizontal pivot pin mounted in said forward portion of the bracket, and a braking member extending across the front of the wheel and suspended by said pin, said member being tapered upwardly in transverse section, and said arm being adapted to be swung downward to swing the wheel forward in the fork past said pivot means, whereby said transverse wall will press against the lower front edge of said braking member and thereby press that member against the wheel to hold the wheel against rotation.

HENRY B. MIDDENDORF.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,733,536 Guitschula Oct. 29, 1929 1,778,167 Roe Oct, 14, 1930 2,512,941 Johnston June 27, 1950 

